Bottle cap package



Sept. 24, A. c. LENz BOTTLE CAP PACKAGE Filed may 51, 1'958 realisedsept. 24,- 1940 o'rrLn oar PACKAGE Andrew C. Lenz, Belvidere, Ill.,assigner to Mid- West Bottle Cap Co., Belvidere, lll., a corporation ofIllinois Application May 31, 1938, Serial vNo. 210,906

3 Claims.

This inventionrelates to bottle cap packages, and` is directed moreparticularly to packages for vmilk bottle caps and the like and toA animproved method of making the same.

The customary method heretofore used for packaging milk bottle caps andthe like has been to stack them in a stiff paper tube and then deformthe ends of the tube or place a strip of tape over the ends thereof tohold the caps in the tube. This arrangement has been objectionable dueto the fact that the caps are used in a capping machine and the packagesare inserted directly into the machine from which they are fed to thecapper. The troubles have come largely from thediiiiculty in opening thepackage and the character of the opening formed in the package. Ininserting the package into the capper it has been customary for theoperator `to tear off the end of the package. Frequently the tear isstarted by gripping .the end between the teeth, the operator thengrasping the torn end to complete the removal of the end portion of thetube. This .produces an objectionable character to the end of the tubebecause of the very jagged torn edge, which condition is aggravated bythe fact that the tube is made up of laminations of paper strips woundhelically for the purpose of producing strength in the tube. Numerousdevices have come onto the market in the nature of cutting toolsdesigned` for the removal of the end of the tube, but these have nevercome into popular use and the operators have refused to use them for onereason or another.

In addition to the slowness and the physical effort involved in openingthe tubes as described above, there is the further objection of thenature of the tear. The jagged edges on the end of the tube frequentlyinterfere with the feeding of the paper disks or caps out of the end ofthe tube when the package is placed in the capping machine. The caps trather snugly into the tubes and do not possess a great Aamount ofweight so that slight irregularities in the end of the tube will causethe cap to tilt and wedge in the end of the tubeand thus fail to feedproperly. Such irregularities are frequentcaused in tearing off the endof the tube, and as a result, the operator must give frequentanti almostconstant attention to the feeding element of the capping machine inorder to insure that the caps are feeding downward prop erly froml thepackage. This trouble not only arises because of the unevenness at thetorn edge,but also because frequently the tube is (Cl. 20G-46) squeezedor distorted during the tearing process Vso that the caps are withheldat some point further along the tube.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improve cappackage particularly adapted for use in capping machines and designed toavoidthe difculties heretofore associated with the insertion of thepackages into the machine and with the feeding of the caps from thepackage while positioned in the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method formanufacturing a bottle cap package having ease of opening and strengthfor holding a 'cap during shipment.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription andthe accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a bottle cap package embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 'is a fragmentary section showing the first step in themanufacture of the package;

Fig.4 3 is a fragmentary section through the end of the package shown inFigure 1 showing the completed structure of the package;

Fig. 4 is a side view in the end of a cap package showing the end of thepackage removed;

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are fragmentary side views of the end of apackage showing modified forms of perforationsor openings for theremoval of the end portion of the package;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 5 to 8 but partly in section,showing a modified form in which the package embodies a cap completelycovering the end of the tube, and

Fig. 11 is a section through the end wall of a package showing a furthermodified form of perforation.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing includes a stiffpaper tube designated generally by the numeral l2, in this instanceformed of two lamnations I3 and I4 of paper Wound helically upon eachother so as to produce maximum strength in the tubes. These tubes whichmight be termed stock tubes, are formed or cut into suitable lengths tohold -a designated number of bottle caps. In the drawing I have shown aplurality of bottle caps l5 positioned in the package, the caps in thisinstance being in the form of fiat disks, though the invention is not inanyway limited to this shape of the caps which mayfbe caps of anyconventional shape well known intheart. In accordance with theinvention, the paper of the tube is perforated or cut through at spacedintervals in a line around the 'tubeand spaced from the end of the tubeas best shown in Fig. 2, the perforations in this instancevbeing in theform of straight cuts passing completely through the tube, as shown atI6. 5 Conveniently the tube is perforated at both ends as shown at I1and I8 for removal of either or both ends from the package, though insome instances only one end of the tube need be so treatedL. After thetube is formed and perforated l as shown in Fig.. 2, the extreme end ofthe tube is folded inward so as to lie along the inner wall of the tubeas shown in Fig. 3, the inwardly projecting flap I 9 being folded in toa distance. beyond the perforations I6 as shown at 2I so 15 that beyondthe last cap 22 of the stack the tube has inner and outer wallscomprising the ap I9 and the portion 23 of the tubular side wall. Thusthe flap I9 serves to reinforce the tube along the area bearing the cutsI6. The inner end of 90 the ap I9 serves asA an abutment for the cap 22to prevent the caps from sliding out of the tube, and thus this flapforms an end for the package. In use, one of the ends of the tube isfolded to the position shown in Fig. 3, the capsl are then 95. insertedinto the tube, and thereafter the opposite end of the tube is `folded inin like manner so that the flap will bear loosely against the end memberof the stack of caps. This prevents egress of the caps and also acts toprevent warp- `age of the caps while in the package, which otherwisefrequently Aoccurs and which in turn Uinterferes with the cap feedingoperations. ,Y

The package is shipped to the bottling plant in the form shown in Figs.1 and 3, and in order for is the operator to insert the package into thecapping machine,'it is simplynecessary for him to grasp the package withone hand at a point intermediate the ends and with the other hand gripthe end portion 23 thereof. With a slight 40 compression of the end 23and a twisting motion the stock of the tube is torn off between thecuts" I6 so that the tube parts at the perforations, the end portion ofthe tube including the portion 23 and the flap I 9 being. removed asshown in Fig. .4. 45 The operator then inserts the remainder of the tubeinto the capping machine with the open end down. It will be seen thatthis operation produces a substantially clean break at the end of thetube with no rough tears or edges which 50 may project into the bore ofthe tube and interfere with the passage of the caps out of the tube.Preferably when the perforations or cuts I6 are made the cuts are formedfrom the inside of the tube so that the slight distortion of the paper55 adjacent the cuts is formed on the outside of the tube ratherthan onthe inner `surface thereof, thereby, leaving the mouth-of thetubevsmooth upon removal of the end portion as heretofore described. l60 The perforations may take a number of different forms. For example,in Fig. 5 the perforations are 1n thev form of arcuate cuts 24 spacedannularly of the tube. In Fig. 6 the cuts 25 are arranged in the natureof saw teeth, whereas 65 in Fig. '7 the cuts are arranged in the form ofthree sides of a triangle, as shown at 26. `VIn Fig. A 8 I have shown aform in which the cuts are in the nature of small holes 21 spacedannularly of thetube. In each of these instances the end or 70 flap I9is folded in in the same manner as shown v-in Fig. 3, the flap servingto reinforcethe tube in the perforated area, and likewise to retain thecaps in place in the tube.

In Fig. l1 I have shown a form in which the `75 cuts are positioned onopposite sides of the tube' Iat 32.

Y same way, ,the perforations merely being placed and do not passcompletely through the walls thereof, the cuts consisting of an outerannulary and continuous cut 28 extending partway through.A

- the tube, and an inner cut 29 also extending partway through in thesame transverse plane, leaving 5 a small amount of stock as show-nl at3| between the bottoms of the two cuts. This form has the advantage inthat it produces a` completely smooth and clean cut area on both theinner and the outer surfaces of the tube when the endl0 portion is tornaway.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a modified form of the invention wherein the end`portion of the tube is not folded in but in which the perforationsaremade at a point closer to the end of l5 the tube than the perforationsI6, as shown In order to close the tube, retain the caps inv place, andreinforce the tubular side walls in the perforated area, I provide a cap33 having a central portion 34 and side walls 20 35 telescoping over the-outer side of the tube I2 to a point beyond the perforations 32 asshown at 3B. In this form Athe central portion 34 serves to retain thecap in place, and the sides v35 serve to reinforce the Walls. The cap2.5 may be glued to the extreme end portion 31 of the tube if desired,or a tight friction t may be relied upon. r Injthe form shown in Fig.the package is constructed substantially as that shownin Fig. 9, Iexceptthat the perforations 38 are in this instance formed in the side wallsof the cap adjacent the central portion 34, and in this instance theportion 39 of the tube serves to reinforce the cap in the area of theperfora- 35 tions, the central portion 34 in this instance alsoy servingto retain. the caps in position. In the form shown in Fig. 9, thepackage is opened by severing the tube along the perforations 32 andremoving the cap and the side wall portion 40 31, whereas in the formshown in Fig. 10, merely the central portion 34 and a portion of ytheside wall 35 of the cap is removed in openingv the package. -However, inach instance the same functions are performed in substantially the H onalternate parts of the cooperating elements. It will be seen that ineach form when the tube is opened by removal of the end portion, asubstantially coplanar smoothy edge is formed without any internalprojections so that the end of the tube seats nicely and flush againstits isupport in the magazine of the capping machine, whereby as the capspas's downward out of the end of the tube, there' is no tendency for thecaps to tilt or to wedge and thus be held up so that the supply of capsto the feeding mechanism will be interrupted. It will likewise be seenthat the package is held securely. closed during shipment and handling,but that upon the application thereto of a particular type of force,.theclean coplanar severance just described is produced without the use ofexcessive force such as might destroy or crush the lremainder of thetube, and that the nature of this force is such that there is but littlelikelihood of it being applied to the tube accidentally. The result is apackage which is strong in use but is easily opened for discharge of thecaps.

I claim:

1. A bottle cap package comprisinga paper ,70 tubeof uniform diameterthroughout its length havingperforations therein extending annularlythereof in a plane spaced from the end of the t'ube, the end -portlonthus formed beyond the perforations being bent inward upon itself 'I6and lying along and in contact with the inner face of the wall oi.' thetube to a point inwardly of the perforations to reinforce the tube andto retain the caps in position within the tube.

2. A bottle cap package for disk-like milk bottle caps comprising acylindrical paper tube of substantially uniform diameter throughout itslength shaped to receive in closely fitting peripheral relationship astack of bottle caps extending from end to end thereof, said tube havingan annular row of perforations in a plane spaced from the end thereof adistance sumcient to be gripped by the hand of the operator to providean annular line along which said tube may be cleanly tornby twistingmovement oi the end portion ofthe tube with respect to the remainderthereof. 'and means on the removable end portion positioned inwardly ofsaid perforations to bear against the endmost cap of said stack tomaintain the caps in surface contact and to retain the caps in the tube.

3. A milk bottle cap package for disk-like milk bottle caps adapted forreception in cap feeding relation to a mechanical capper comprising acylindrical paper tube of substantially uniform diameter throughout itslength shaped to receive in 'closely fitting peripheral relationship astack of bottle caps extending from end to end thereof and to seat inendwise abutment against said capper for the successive dispensing ofcaps therethrough, said tube having an annular row of perforations in aplane spaced'from the end thereof a distance suiiicient to be gripped bythe hand of the operator to provide an annular line along which saidtube will part sharply upon twisting movement of the end portion of theVtube with respect to the remainder thereof to thereby provide an openend of uniform shape characteristics for seating in' said machine andfor unobstructed passage of caps progressively therethrough underfeeding action of said capper, and means on the removable end portionpositioned inwardly of said perforations to bear against the endmost capof said stack to there- 'by maintain the caps in surface contact and toretain the caps in the tube during handling,

ANDREW C. LENZ.

